Apple Rumored to Be Developing 5G iPad Pro With mmWave Support

[EugW]

From my understanding, it has never happened because there is not really enough demand for it. It costs too much from a battery life perspective.

Apple already built a 3G MacBook Pro.

Unique 3G MacBook Pro prototype headed back to Apple

North Carolina resident Carl Frega is soon to be its former owner of a rare 3G MacBook prototype that he was selling for $70,000+ on eBay.

www.zdnet.com

However, they never released it.

 

[ellsworth]

I would have liked it better if this article said: "Apple Rumored to Be Developing 5G Macbooks and Macbook Pros..."

 

[konqerror]

Apple already built a 3G MacBook Pro.

Unique 3G MacBook Pro prototype headed back to Apple

North Carolina resident Carl Frega is soon to be its former owner of a rare 3G MacBook prototype that he was selling for $70,000+ on eBay.

www.zdnet.com

However, they never released it.

It does demonstrate one of the issues on laptops in that you need a significantly bigger antenna for cellular, since the signal is much weaker than Wi-Fi. You would need to have enough demand to produce a separate top lid with a large cutout. This isn't an issue for PCs that use thicker, plastic screen covers.

 

[4jasontv]

John Gruber will be very happy.

 

[PHL2PBI]

I am really hoping for a March release. I'm itching to upgrade my 4+ year old iPad Pro 12.9. The keyboard for my ipad keeps giving me errors and due to daily use, the battery doesn't last as long as it used to.

We are in the same spot with our 4 year old 12.9 iPad Pro. Keyboard error messages and battery life.

 

[techwhiz]

And this is news to whom?
If they are adding 5G to phones, why wouldn't they add 5G to connected iPads?
DUH!

 

[RevTEG]

I still have no interest in paying extra for cellular in any other devices.... the iPhone is a hotspot, who needs this?

i for one need it for work. Secondly I want it. It’s worth the $ to me. I travel for work, with unlimited data I never even have to wonder if a place has WiFi. Because of my heavy data usage, using my iPhone as a hotspot isn’t idea. For me, not having to ever wonder about WiFi is worth it. Just open the device and go. I might consider passing on a cellular MacBook but only because I don’t use it as much as I used to.

 

[HVDynamo]

We are in the same spot with our 4 year old 12.9 iPad Pro. Keyboard error messages and battery life.

I'm kind of waiting for this one to upgrade my really old iPad 4. It's just so slow and stuck on iOS 10. Everything on it still works, but I really want the new iPad Pro 11" to replace it. I'd buy one now, but the current one has been out so long that I'd rather wait until they announce the next one.

 

[44267547]

I still have no interest in paying extra for cellular in any other devices.... the iPhone is a hotspot, who needs this?

Well for one, there are various industries where iPads are used in the field where they need an Internet connection all the time. Even in the iPhone forum, I’ve read where multiple members have mentioned that they _need_ to have a data connection, because they don’t have an office when their ‘field traveling’ for their profession on a daily basis.

 

[currentinterest]

I have a 10.5 inch A10X cellular iPad Pro and have been waiting for 5G to upgrade. I am willing to wait until October, however, if it means an A14X device. I think in 2020 we may see an A12 (or A13 if introduced late in the year) entry iPad, an A14 iPad Air and Mini, each with an LTE or basic 5G option, and an A14X iPad Pro (in both sizes) with a higher-end 5G option.

 

[hajime]

.

 

[macsimcon]

Well for one, there are various industries where iPads are used in the field where they need an Internet connection all the time. Even in the iPhone forum, I’ve read where multiple members have mentioned that they _need_ to have a data connection, because they don’t have an office when their ‘field traveling’ for their profession on a daily basis.

Think of the value this would have for any company which makes house calls. We have clients with databases on their iPads who would love to get this. Right now, employees have to wait to get back to their vehicle before they can upload the form the customer just completed, or email them a receipt. Sure, an iPhone is convenient for me to tether to as an individual, but companies don't want to issue a phone just for connectivity.

 

[PickUrPoison]

I have a 10.5 inch A10X cellular iPad Pro and have been waiting for 5G to upgrade. I am willing to wait until October, however, if it means an A14X device. I think in 2020 we may see an A12 (or A13 if introduced late in the year) entry iPad, an A14 iPad Air and Mini, each with an LTE or basic 5G option, and an A14X iPad Pro (in both sizes) with a higher-end 5G option.

My guesses would be:

• I think October is a good estimate of iPad Pro release, with A14X as you mention. 5G models could be later but hopefully not 🤞
• A10 is aging, but A11 is plenty for the budget iPad. Maybe A12 if they plan on letting the 8th gen ride for two years. Will remain 3GB.
• Agreed, Air 4 with A14. RAM bumped to 4GB. No 5G availability until the following refresh (Air 5)
• Mini not likely to be updated, demand is low. A14/4GB in 2021 or even 2022 😢
• 5G only on the Pro for now

 

[topmounter]

It does demonstrate one of the issues on laptops in that you need a significantly bigger antenna for cellular, since the signal is much weaker than Wi-Fi. You would need to have enough demand to produce a separate top lid with a large cutout. This isn't an issue for PCs that use thicker, plastic screen covers.

Imagine the antenna you would need if you want to use this indoors with mmWave. Should be nice for sitting on a park bench under a mmWave enabled lamp post though.

 

[konqerror]

Imagine the antenna you would need if you want to use this indoors with mmWave. Should be nice for sitting on a park bench under a mmWave enabled lamp post though.

Not a big one actually. One of the reasons why you go to mm-wave is that smaller antennas are more efficient because the wavelength is shorter.

The key to efficiency is generally the size compared to a wavelength. Looking at the antenna system itself, a mm-wave antenna in a laptop will be much better than one working at the sub 1-GHz frequencies today because you can easily hit a wavelength. Roughly, if I had a 1-inch antenna working in the mm-wave, I'd need one approximately 60 inches long in the lower cellular bands to match.

The issues with mm-wave is in the propagation phenomenology though walls.

 

[iSayuSay]

I still have no interest in paying extra for cellular in any other devices.... the iPhone is a hotspot, who needs this?

I don't hate the idea of "cellular everything" really, but when the carrier ask more payment for wireless plan I already paid for, that's disgusting greed. Pay one time flat fee for whatever device I already have (well, ok there must be an upper limit on how many connected devices on one's account).

That means eSIM on iPhone will connect to eSIM on my iPad or Apple Watch with NO additional charge. Of course, I would have used more data for 3 devices instead of one, which means I would buy the bigger plan, which then means more revenue for said carrier. That's how carriers should make money off my multiple devices.

I already paid $100 premium for cellular radio on my devices, also all my devices already guzzled into whatever data allotment I might have, then why should I pay more bills just to be able to use it?

Just food for thought.

With Apple Watch Data Plans, Wireless Carriers Opt For Profits Over Innovation

Apple’s first cellular smartwatch has stiff monthly service plans attached. Where’s the innovation in connected device plans?

www.fastcompany.com

 

[iSayuSay]

Certainly if you have a big data plan...I have 100GB a month and when I use my iPad mini out I always use hotspot now

Great, that's one hell of a wireless plan. Unfortunately using hotspots will drain the iPhone battery, in long term it means wearing down the battery health even faster.

I really should think carrier playing fair and charge no additional fee for iPad or Watch cellular plan. I mean we already paid for our data, and additional devices eat into all those data simultaneously. It's like McDonalds charge me twice because I shared a burger I already paid for with my wife or daughter.

 

[Alan Wynn]

Great, that's one hell of a wireless plan. Unfortunately using hotspots will drain the iPhone battery, in long term it means wearing down the battery health even faster.

This is the biggest reason I do not like to tether.

I really should think carrier playing fair and charge no additional fee for iPad or Watch cellular plan. I mean we already paid for our data, and additional devices eat into all those data simultaneously. It's like McDonalds charge me twice because I shared a burger I already paid for with my wife or daughter.

Not really. There is a difference in cost to the carrier if you are using one device or more than one device. First, you take up more of the limited number of channels using multiple devices. Second, you require they provision more simultaneous bandwidth increasing their costs again.

In the U.S. most plans are now unmetered (not really unlimited, just not charged per byte). Carriers decide how much to charge based on models of what an average user can use. If an “average” user has a single smart phone, this model would call for one price, but if the average user has three devices (a watch, a phone and a tablet) that are likely to use that much more data, the model would cost that much more. By charging a fee by device, based on the device’s anticipated usage, they have the fairest model for all users.

A more accurate analogy for your McDonald’s example would be that you bring three cups to drink the ”free refills” for the soft drinks you bought. You can take three nozzles (making other customers wait), and can fill three times as fast. While they do not charge you by the ounce for the drink, they price it based on an estimate of what an average customer can/will drink in an average visit. However, even your burger example takes additional resources if you are eating in the restaurant, as you and your family are taking three seats but only buying one item. If every customer did that, and the restaurant needed to expand the number of tables for peak usage, they would have to raise prices.

 

[salz4life]

I'm kind of waiting for this one to upgrade my really old iPad 4. It's just so slow and stuck on iOS 10. Everything on it still works, but I really want the new iPad Pro 11" to replace it. I'd buy one now, but the current one has been out so long that I'd rather wait until they announce the next one.

Sort of same here..... I'm still rocking in iPad Air 2 that I can't really complain about with how old it is, but I'd certainly like to go new and I have the money to go Pro.

 

[Alan Wynn]

Sort of same here..... I'm still rocking in iPad Air 2 that I can't really complain about with how old it is, but I'd certainly like to go new and I have the money to go Pro.

Yup, the problem is knowing if you are waiting until Mach (good), June (OK), or September (bad). If you are OK waiting, then you should be fine, but having moved from an Air 2 to my iPad Pro and then to my second generation iPad Pro, I cannot imagine going back that direction. While I love my second generation Pro, and I think it was a major upgrade, I would have been fine with the upgrade to my first generation 10.5” Pro.

 

[Pman17]

I still have no interest in paying extra for cellular in any other devices.... the iPhone is a hotspot, who needs this?

Carriers, so you can ditch your old unlimited plan for their new unlimited (more expensive) plan for an iPad.

 

[BuffaloTF]

I still have no interest in paying extra for cellular in any other devices.... the iPhone is a hotspot, who needs this?

I agree with you and apply this same logic to my own personal devices... but that doesn't change that I burned through my 22 GB hotspot data in 4 days the last time I needed to rely on it. They consume more data than the phone. So I can certainly see that someone might want it.

 

[iSayuSay]

.....

A more accurate analogy for your McDonald’s example would be that you bring three cups to drink the ”free refills” for the soft drinks you bought. You can take three nozzles (making other customers wait), and can fill three times as fast. While they do not charge you by the ounce for the drink, they price it based on an estimate of what an average customer can/will drink in an average visit. However, even your burger example takes additional resources if you are eating in the restaurant, as you and your family are taking three seats but only buying one item. If every customer did that, and the restaurant needed to expand the number of tables for peak usage, they would have to raise prices.

That is a fine argument. I agree that more devices potentially means more data can be used. But the question remains.

How could the cost of adding an Apple Watch plan is the same as the cost of adding a cellular iPad into your wireless plan? A watch has smaller display, and much less functionality or apps compared to iPad (which has way bigger screen, capable of streaming videos that may sips way more data).

I couldn't imagine anyone could spend monthly 1GB cap for his/her cellular Apple Watch. The iPad, on the other hand could guzzle 10GB data in a week, easy.